91 people charged in $400 million Medicare fraud

US prosecutors have charged 91 people, including doctors, nurses and other
medical professionals over allegations that they defrauded Medicare, the
country's publicly-funded insurance programme, out of $430 million (£265
million).

The arrests come as Medicare is set to become a political issue in the forthcoming electionPhoto: ALAMY

The US Justice Department made the announcement last night after an investigation which spanned seven cities across the States.

The Attorney General Eric Holder made the announcement. Details of the fraud remained scant, but the department alleges that there was $230 million in home health care fraud, more than $100 million in mental health care fraud and about $49 million in ambulance transportation fraud.

Mr Holder reportedly said that one doctor was charged with writing 30,000 prescriptions by himself for 2,000 patients, resulting in the Government being defrauded out of $100 million.

The arrests come as Medicare is set to become a political issue in the forthcoming election.